Sony SCD-C 555ES

First of all, i thank everyone who has offered their advice/opinion. I checked my interconnects twice and they are properly hooked up. My system is strictly 2 channel. Let me add to my original post what components i'm presently using:
Parasound 2200 II amp
Adcom gtp 750 Preamp
Parasound line filter
Interconnects are Mapleshade Cryo'd Ribbon
Speakerwire is LAT 1000
PSB Gold speakers

I may change off on my interconnects, but, you know, the Mapleshades have always given whatever system i had a wonderfully large and deep sound stage and added half an octave to my bass. Anyway i'll try something else - but i'm still going to ride it out - each time i was about to give up waiting for interconnects or speaker wire to burn in the sound suddenly "blossomed". i simply cannot believe that the Sony 555 SACD sounds markedly inferior to redbook as played on my Cal Audio changer.
Thank you all again for your interest.

Howie - thanks, i'll take this into consideration and try what you suggest. my system and room, however, have never been anything but "un-bright" - the only times i've experienced brightness at all was when interconnects or speaker wire was still burning in. what i'm getting with the 555es is very similar - and a flat sound stage.
as for the source material - so far my selections have been, i think, fairly decent. james taylor's "hourglass" (noy hybrid), allison krauss and norah jones. each of these artists has released beautifully produced redbook counterparts that throw a wide and deep soundstage with my old cal audio CL-10.
i'm going to see if my patience can outlast this break in period. and i will experiment with other interconnects.

The final insult !! - i just did an a/b with my harman kardon RECORDER !! and the HK won by a mile. i am now certain that the 555 needs breaking in.
you know, one thing bothers me ........... we pay exorbitant amounts of money for that simple pleasure of approaching realism in recorded sound .......... but we are required to wait with saintly patience for the breaking in of new equipment. i can't speak for others, but the more i pay the quicker my patience wears thin. should the manufacturer or can the manufacturer shorten or eliminate this burn in period ??

all is well. the main problem was something that happened once before, awhile ago. there's a little toggle on the back of my amp which, when in the up position, turns my amp mono. i quickly put it in the down position. still not quite there - the clincher was "rarl"'s advice regarding sacd multi/2ch choices on the ams knob.
track #4 on "new favorite" by allison krauss really did me in.
thanks to all and don't forget the little toggles. dan

Pinpoint accuracy, super-defined soundstage, of course, and details heard for the first time. most impressed with what it did with a track on allison krauss' "new favorite" - the whole band was blastin' and i could hear each and every instrument more "there" than ever before and a large, "visual" soundstage.
then i tested redbook on it with a joan baez track that, to me, blurrs the distinction between "live or memorex ?" ..... that being "diamonds and rust"- a crystal clear acoustic guitar and ms baez's incredibly powerful voice.
i think i must expand my horizons - but i'm really hooked on female voice. thanks - all you guys did it, made me think and look and remember what happened years ago, and advised me on how to operate this new changer.

Now that the thing is singing i'm going to look at other sacd source material, as Howie suggested. any ideas besides opus or concord samplers ?